


a heated moment

by jakia



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Plot? What Plot?, post battle kiss, the only plot is wizards kissing, tw: blood and injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26291020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jakia/pseuds/jakia
Summary: Caleb and the rest of the Mighty Nein barely make it out of a fight alive. You know what they say: a close encounter with death makes you bold enough to kiss your handsome drow friend.  [Shadowgast, one shot.]
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 19
Kudos: 349





	a heated moment

The explosion is still ringing in his ears when the spell goes off, and he finds himself in the middle of Yussa’s tower instead of the scarred and broken battlefield he left. He still feels the heat of the fire on his back even if there is none there now.

He counts his friends--one two three four five six, then himself, seven--and breathes easier for the moment. They are safe; they have made it out alive.

His ears are still ringing; there is blood on his hands, and a bit in his eyes. He thinks it might be his own. He, strangely,  _ hopes  _ it’s his own.

“We alive?” Beau speaks first, clutching a bloody rib. Caleb thinks he can see a bit of bone poking out of her. “We make it?”

“Theoretically,” Veth groans, and she barely finishes speaking before Caduceus is standing over her, healing her. Good, Caleb thinks. They all need a bit of healing, but they are safe now, at least. He made sure of it.

_ “Caleb!”  _ He hears, and turns his head towards the voice. At the top of Yussa’s stairs is Essek- _ -beautiful  _ Essek, who looks like he might’ve just rolled out of bed. His hair is messy, and his clothing casual, sleep pants and a long tunic, and there is nothing on his delicate feet at all, and he is the single most beautiful thing Caleb has ever seen.

One minute Essek is at the top of the stairs; Caleb blinks, and then Essek is hugging him; arms wrapped tight around his waist and his back.  _ Oh _ , Caleb thinks. This is nice. Essek is normally not so free with his affection; he is usually calm and reserved. Caleb doesn’t think that Essek has ever hugged him before. It’s nice, though; Essek should hug him more often. His arms are warm and tight, and they feel good. Essek is so much shorter than Caleb thought; he barely comes up to Caleb’s shoulders, his head practically vibrating on his chest. 

Oh, but Essek is saying something. Caleb hasn’t been listening--how rude. “--and when Jester didn’t respond to my message I assumed the worst. Yussa and I both tried to scry on you guys but we couldn’t get a clear location to teleport to you and--Caleb?” Essek sounds worried. It’s sweet. He lets go of Caleb, and brushes a bit of the blood off of Caleb’s face. Good. Now they both have blood on their hands. “Caleb? Are you okay? You are still bleeding from the head.”

That doesn’t really matter, Caleb thinks. He’s alive, and so is Essek, and those are the important things. Caleb puts both of his hands on Essek’s face and smiles at him. “Essek Thelyss,” he whispers, like it’s all the answer he needs, and then he kisses him.

It’s not a soft or gentle kiss; it is hungry, all-consuming. The type of kiss that ends war; the kind poets try to capture, and fail.

It’s only when Essek starts to pull away with a need to breathe that Caleb realizes he’s never done this before. He’s never kissed Essek before, but it feels so natural, so right, and he’d like to kiss him again, soon.

Still, it explains the startled look on Essek’s face, like he’s been given a present he’s afraid might be a prank. “Ah. That was new.”

“Hmm,” Caleb agrees. It’s entirely possible that he’s slightly concussed, if he’s being honest. “Not unwelcome, though, I hope?”

There is a dark purple flush to Essek’s face. “No. It was--it was  _ very  _ welcome. Just unexpected.”

He cannot help it. Perhaps it is the dizziness, but he cannot help but lean forward and kiss him again, and again, and again, until finally he hears a gentle cough coming from up the stairs. Surprising, that that was the noise to pull him out of his stupor, and not the “woo-hoos!” coming from the Nein behind him.

“Master Widogast,” Yussa says, unamused, arms crossed before his long golden robes. He, too, is wearing his sleepwear; it’s just that his is fancier. “If you are perhaps finished fornicating with the drow in the middle of my foyer, I would like to know what it is you discovered in Eiselcross.”

“A concussion,” Caleb answers honestly, and Essek  _ immediately  _ looks panicked, even as Jester giggles across the room, waving her hand and sending a spark of healing magic his way, stopping the bleeding at least. Caduceus hobbles over towards them, his leg still broken, but he intends to spend his energy healing the Nein before himself. A good man, Caduceus Clay.

“Perhaps we heal up a bit before we talk, Mr. Yussa,” Caduceus says, green-pink energy flowing his hand to Caleb’s forehead. It feels nice; the Wildmother must be a nice lady, Caleb thinks. He hopes when he dies he gets to go to her realm. Or maybe Pelor’s? He wonders where his parents ended up. 

Essek squeezes his hand, and then seems to think better of it, letting go quickly. No, no, Caleb thinks, and reaches over the grab Essek’s hand back, squeezing it gently. Essek  _ looks  _ at him, intensely, but he doesn’t say anything. He just holds Caleb’s hand while Caduceus heals him, and that is enough.


End file.
